Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-22
Mechanics wanted.

EDITOR HERALD:-1 was surptiseu W
find in yesterdays Times, January 18th,
an article, evidently editorial, entitled
"Me ,hanics Wanted.
The above article is. in modern lam
guage, neither more nor less, than
huge chestnut.
Our Unions are accused of spreading
the statement that the city has all the
mechanics we need, and that more have
thus been kept away. The Carpenter,
for January, our official paper, publish
ed in Philadelphia, with circulation OF
2l 200, states that work in Los Angeles
is fair, and quotes wages from So to
S4. so per day. This is the method we
have used to keep men away.
For the benefit of those who do not
understand the object of our Union,
will give you the second article OF our
constitution.
ARTICLE 2. Sec. 1.-The objects OF
our brotherhood are to rescue our traae
from the low level to which 1T has fall
en-, and by mutual effort to place our
selves on a foundation, sufficiently
strong to prevent further encroach-
mepts. to discourage piece work, to re-
establish an apprentice SYSTEM 10 en-
courage a higher standard OF skiii' 10
cultivate feelings of friendship among
the men of the craft, to assls; each other
to secure employment, TO reduce the
hours of daily labor, to secure adequate
pay for our work, to furnish aid In case
of death or sickness, etc, and above all,
to elevate by legal and proper means.
the moral, intellectual and social condi-
ton of our members.
With such constitution, what poss l.
BILE object could we have in keeping men
away, unless work is actually scarce or
the town over crowded, as in Los An
geles, which is the same thing. As to
non- Union men, 1--WE have nothing to do
with them, we only recognize them as
men whoeare too cowardly to organize
for their own protection. But notice
they are always ready to reap the bene-
fits gained by our Unions.
Union Is strength, and had we no
Unions employers would pay much lower
wages, we would gradually drift back to
the old time twelve-hour system when
men were treated little better than ami
mails.
remember the time when men were
almost afraid to speak to their employ
ers. l have known them to stand and
be cursed. Hunger stared them in the
face Did they dare to look cross,eyed
their occupation would be gone. At
that time there was no Union to ind
them employment, or to keep the wolf
from their door until something turned
up. Non Union men know this as well
as do, and it is astonishing to see them
come to the Union when times get a lit
tie hard.
There are not less than 200 idle car
penters in Los Angeles to-day, while
many have left the c,ly this last week.
To entice workingmen to leave their
homes and come here at the present
time, where they can be neither useful
nor ornamental, but detriment, is a
crime and an outrage which ought to be
punished by law.
Such statements bringing men to town,
who spend their last dollar to get here,
make more tramps than any other cause,
that am aware of. What we need is
men with capital, men that will circu
late money, and build houses, and we
will see that they have all the carpenters
they want. Two or three contractors
have gone to other towns and advertised
for men. They did not have the man
hood to employ men at home.
They calculated on hiring men in a
distant town for a few cents per day less
than Los Angeles pay. Such men hold
town back, and lovers of freedom will
do well to ignore them and treat them
as they try 10 treat their fellow-men.
l love to see the tide of immigration
still flowing, but do not encourage poor
men to come here at the present tune.
there are too many Of thsm here now.
Yours truly, JAMES A. BARTON,
Member of Union 81.
Los Angeles January 20,h.
[Willing to give any proper interest
hearing the HERALD publishes the above
letter. The writer seems disposed to
give an unbiased statement from his
standpoint. He comedies that some of
the contractors here have been lead to
90 outside of this city for workmen.
1t may also be stated that some of the
largest soperators in Los Ange es
are just now holding back for
further building because OF the cost
of labor. The impression is quite
general in the city that really
good mechanics need not go idle, if
they will accept fair wages. The writ
sr above frankly quotes labor at S3 to
"a. so day for carpenters, and all over
the country that one fact tells men OF
this honorable craft more of the situa-
tion than would a whole volume of
comment. ED.